Coextensive room system with mechanical conveyers



'April 30,v 193.15. c; R, HUGHES COEXTENSIVE ROOM SYSTEM WITH MECHANICALCONVEYERS Filed Jung 29, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Aprill 30, 1935. c, R. HUGHES COEXTENSVE ROOM SYSTEM WITH MECHANICALCONVEYERS Filed June 29,

Patented, Apr. 3o, 193s Y y 1,999,931

A UNITED STATES PA-,TENT OFFICE COEXTENSIVE ROOM SYSTEM WITH MECHANICALCONVEYEBS Charles B. Hughes, Altoona, Pa., asdgnor Albertino M. Hughes,Altoona, Pa.

Application June 29, 1933, Serial No. 678,268

5 Claims. (Cl. 282-1) The invention relates to improvements in the ofmen and materials. They are clear of obart of mining, more particularlya combination structions and conform' to' certain laws govof a mine planand a conveying system, an oberning the safety and health of the miners.ject being to operate a system of mechanical Rooms, on the other hand,are usually of a much 5 material handling apparatus in a plan ofheadgreater width. Refuse, is thrown to one side and 5 ings and roomsespecially laid out to permit remains therein. Only coal is removed ifit is eiiicient and cheap extraction of the mineral. possible to do so.They serve to subdivide a The immediate object is to extract coal bylarger block of coal in its complete extraction to the use of especiallydesigned mechanical conrecover coal in a small area embraced by the lveyers operating in a system of chambers, which roomitself and a pillaron either side usually l0 system is neither a room-and-pillar system inhaving no connection with the recovery of coal its usual meaning, nor along-wall system, nor elsewhere, not immediately adjoining it. a panelsystem, but rather a modliied room- Parallel entries through a panel orbody of coal and-pillar system. is as old as coal mining. Rooms parallelto the l A further object is to locate the rooms of the headingwithwhich the rooms are first in contact- 15 present system parallel toand co-extensive with. and through which first flows the coal producedthe heading serving them, thereby being disin the rooms as itistransported toward the surtinguished from the room-and-pillar system, asface, is aneysr departure in mine plans and constiit is usually known,wherein the rooms are turned tutes a feature of the present invention.The

oil the heading in a direction transverse or co-extensive-room systemwith mechanical con- 20* angled thereto.` For lack of a betterv name theveyers is more fully disclosed in the accompanysystem will be referredto hereafter as a coing drawings wherein extensive room system, the nameroom-and- Figure l is a diagram oi' a mining operation pillar-systembeing reserved for its usual meanutilizing the present invention. ing.Figure 2 is an enlargement of the conveyer ar- 25 In coal mining, theterms heading or enrangement which shows the use of loading matry androom have different meanings and chines and face conveyers as a part ofthe system. signify chambers of different types and for dif- Figure 3 isa side elevation in diagram of a ferent purposes. In a room-and-pillarsystem, shuttle conveyer, showing its relation to the seca heading orentry is a permanent or semitional conveyer ina cross-cut andto theloading permanent passageway excavated in the stratum machine. ofmineral being mined, thereby to provide pas- Figure 4 is a plan view indiagram of the strucsageways for the transportation and travel of tureshown in Figure 3. men and materials and for passage of air for Figureis adiagram showing successive stages tained and protected by barriersor pillars of-coal Figure 6 is a diagram l showing a method of on eachside of them which remain in place unopen-ended pillar extraction. tilthe entry or heading is to be abandoned. Figure 7 shows aheading stumpand entry pil- Rooms, on the other hand, are the first worklar, thechain pillar to. be drawn from the next 4U ings to penetrate the body ofmineral which is lower entry. 40 to be entirely extracted. They arehaul-ways Figure 8 is a similar view showing the chain only by reason ofthe extraction of mineral in pillar to be drawn therewith. the processof their formation, and are to be Figure 9 isasimilar View showing adoubleen used as such only for the extraction of the mintry symmetricalon both sides. 4,-, eral immediately adjoining to them. Following InFigure l, l is a main entry or haulway leadthe complete removal of themineral, they are ing from the surface to the mineral being exdestroyedby roof falls and abandoned serving "tracted. 2 and3are two of anynumber of parallel no purpose in connection with the developmentheadings thereto in amultiple entry system. The of the property. Thusthe characteristics of purpose of heading 2 is to form a passage for therooms diier greatly from entries or headings. conduct of the Ventilatingair current of the mine. 50

Entries are usually driven tight; that is, they Heading 3 isa travellingway for men. are only wide enough to permit a safe haulway li, 5 and 6are haulways, aircourse and Waterto be established and maintained. Thisafcourse respectively, of a cross entry turned off the fords a measureof safety. They are likewise main entry l at any convenient angle. Entry6 made high enough to facilitate rapid movement is dotted toindicatethat it can be omitted or CII QSI

ventilation. These entries or headings are mainof pillar slabbing. 35

included as conditions warrant. Other parallel entries to 4 can bedriven below entry 6.

1 to I5 inclusive are transverse cross-cuts equally spaced along theheading and parallel to each other. Cut 1 is `the only one to be drivenbetween entry or heading 4 and a cross-entry or watercourse I6 remotetherefrom before the rooms are turned. All the other cross-cuts 6 to I5am turned off the heading 'and driven through the heading stump to theline of the rooml1 nearest to the heading but no; farther. Thereafterthe cross-cuts are advanced step-by-step,YAY

the section between rooms I1 and I8 being driven from room I1, thesection between rooms I8 and I9 being driven from room I8, etc. Thesetransverse cross-cuts may taken any convenient angle to the cross-entry4.

`Rooms I1 to 26 inclusive are parallel to each other and to thecross-entry 4. All oi' them are first turned from transverse cross-cut 1and are advanced along lines parallel with the crossentry 4 into thesolidcoal, with their faces in line, until three transverse cross-cutsare completed, after which the pillar extraction may begin. The faces ofthe rooms continue to advance at one end in line abreast and the pillarextraction at the other end of each room will proceed at the same rateof speed so that the faces of the pillars are maintained in lineabreast.

At all times there must be not less than three ltransverse cross-cutscomplete and open for use between the faces of the advancing rooms andthe faces of the retreating pillars 21 to 36 which are the ones beingextracted. This differs from the ordinary room-and-pillar system inwhich the face of the room is advanced in one direction and the face ofthe pillar retreats in the opposite direction. The retreating pillars 21to 36 inclusive are shown as being extracted by the sump and -wingmethod. However any recognized means of pillar extraction can be used.Figure 5 shows progressive stages lof slabbing the pillar 36a. Figures 2and 6 show at 36h the well-known open-ended pillar extraction.

31 is a sectional collecting conveyer mounted on Wheels 38 which roll onthe rails of a mine track 39 in one of the cross-cuts. It traverses allof the rooms I1 to 26 and has its discharge end located in cross-entry4, where it transfers its material to mine cars 40 or other means ofconveyance.

On either side of conveyer 31 are superposed shuttle conveyers l4I and42, each made up of an upper section 43 anda. lower section 44.` 45indicates a loading or gathering and elevating machine of the type shownin the co-pending application of Ernest P. Jaggard, Serial Number631,566, positioned to discharge material onto conveyers 4| and 42.

veyers 4I and 42.

Figures 3 and 4 show side and top elevations of the sectional transverseconveyer 31 in its relation to the shuttle conveyers, 44 is the lower oftwo sectional and extensible wheel supported conveyers on a mine track46, with its discharge end positioned to deliver material to c onveyer31. 43 is the upper of two sectional and ex-v tensible conveyers mountedon wheels on a mine track. 'Ihe wheels of the two sections are indicatedat 41. A part of section 43 straddles section.44, so that the sectionscan be moved longitudinally of each other independently yet positionedto transfer material from one to the other. The length of theoverlapping `sections 43 and Figure 6 shows the use of Aportable faceconveyers in connection with con- 'verse conveyer 31.

44 willbe at least as great as the distance between transversecross-cuts 1, I, etc. v

The carriage of the loading machine 45 herein before referred to isindicated at 46, and this machine has a floating conveyer 4l thereon forYreceiving material from the gathering and elevating means.

The method of pulling the entry pillars, after the block has been workedout and the entry is ready togo on the retreat, has been illustrated inFigures 7, 8 and 9.

In each of the figures mentioned the entry pillars 50 (meaning thegroup) are split at Il and extracted after the same general schemeemployed to mine the block.

In the present system the width of the entry pillars as well as thewidth of the rooms and the room pillars will have definiterelationships. As it will be necessary to advance the room faces I1 to26 inclusive at the same pace, the pillar faces 21 to 36 inclusive (Fig.l) are retreating across lthe block, the time spent to advance a singlepillars. The greater capacity of the machines in tons per minute overother methods of loading coal might dictate a wide room and a narrowpillar.

Should roof conditions allow pillars to be drawn open-ended oreslabbed,the extraction will proceed at a more rapid rate than would be true ifthey were extracted by the sump and wing method. Compensation for thedifferent speeds of loading would be made by altering the relationshipbetween width of room and pillar.

Again, a narrow room may require practically no timbering which woulddictate, in the cause of economy, a relatively wide pillar which at thesame time might permit loading out the pillar from both sides of theroom. That in turn might cause pillar extraction to be can'ied on inevery other room, or second room. Y

The relationship between width of room and width of pillar woulddoubtless be changed to meet underground conditions as they areencountered. For any set of conditions, however, the proper relationshiponce established will continue throughout the block or entry for itsfull length so long as the conditions persist.

The element of time in mining is a new feature in the development of aplan in which parallel advancing and retreating faces in line abreast,keep pace with each other at a constant distance apart across the block.

This arrangement of rooms and conveyers offers great advantages overother methods of mining.

It rst concentrates a large tonnage production in a small area. Itlessens the cost of heading development by increasing the tonnage hauledthrough the cross-entries; for the number of rooms on one side of across-entry is only limited by the limit of operating eillciency of thetrans- The same room development can be made on both sides of thecrossentry, This greatly increases the scope of ter- ISU ritory servedby one cross-entry over the territory thus served in the other types ofdevelopment enumerated atthe beginning of my description.

It increases the efficiency in the use of mechanical conveyer; for touse Figure 1 is an illustration, as the pillars are drawn to closecrosscut I0, the cross-cut I3 is completed. Conveyer 31 then is ready tobel moved to cross-cut I2. In the meantime, this cross-cut I2 has beencleaned and track laid therein to receive the sections of conveyer 31.When the move is to be made, all

of the lower sections 44 of the shuttleconveyers are retracted belowsections 43 the full distance between cuts II and I2 by simply rollingsection 44 along its track. No disassembly of them takes place. Conveyer31 is torn apart and rolled into cross-cut II by rolling its sections ona track, then reassembled. Lower sections 44 of conveyers 42 serving thepillars, are rolled kforward from cross-cut I I 1 to cross-cut I2positioned to again discharge material into conveyer 31.

This plan avoids the daily interruption of work in the rooms to addsections to an extensible conveyer of the usual type. In reality itreduces the task of moving a great length of conveyer, as the transverseconveyer only is torn down and there is but one heavy motor drivendischarge en d to move. If the ordinary type of sectional room conveyerswere in the rooms there would bein addition as many heavy discharge endsto move as there are room conveyers. In the operation illustrated thatwould means the' moving of twenty discharge ends from cut II to cut I2.That would be an extensive task.

Another advantage lies in the ease with which supplies and materials canbe taken to or from the working faces.

Another advantage lies in the concentration at one point on thecross-entry of all of the tonnage to be transferred from conveyer tocar.

What 1s claimed is:

1. The method of mining coal which includes the steps of driving roomsalong lines parallel with the entry and with their advancing endssubstantially abreast andtheir retreating ends substantially abreast,providing parallel cross-cuts common to all of the rooms whereby ingressand between previously formed cross-cuts, whereby a collecting conveyercan be transferred from one cross-cut to the next adjoining cross-cutevery time a new one is formed, and the telescopic conveyers can be sopositioned in the rooms as to discharge material upon the transversecollecting conveyer.

2. The method of mining which includes the formation of an entry throughthe mineral to be mined, by driving parallel headings, aircourses andwatercourses and manways of any desired number interconnected withequally spaced and parallel cross-cuts to form straight continuousconnections therebetween, projecting said `crosscuts into the mineralbeyond the limits of the entry, on either side' or both, a distanceequal to the distance between the entry and the projected course of aparallel room which will later be joined'to the entry, thereafterforming a series of any desired number of rooms parallel and adjacent tothe entry, by advancing all of the rooms in the series substantially atthe same speed with their advancing faces abreast, and extracting thepillars at the retreating ends of all of the rooms of the seriessimultaneously and substantially uniformly at substantially the samespeed as the speed at which the rooms are advanced whereby the coalisremoved from the pillars before deterioration by crushing and wherebythe rooms are maintained at a substantially uniform length during thesaid advance, and maintaining not less than three` equally spacedparallel cross-cut connections betweenV rooms during the advance thereoffor ingress, egress, ventilation, drainage and haulage of material.

3. A method of mining coal which permits .simultaneous advancement ofroom and extraction of pillars, which includes the steps of driving anentry haulway thru the stratum to be mined, advancing rooms abreast intosolid coal on one sidel of the entry, parallel to the entry and parallelto each other, connecting the rooms to each other and to the entryhaulway by straight line cross-cuts driven to the rise from room to roomand between room and haulway, whereby the room entry will be at a higherelevation than rooms contiguous thereto, said cross cuts beingsubstantially parallel to the line of advance of the rooms, advancingall lof the rooms and forming additional cross-cuts, equally spaced asthe rooms advance, each successive cross-cut constituting the avenuethru which material is transported from rooms to entry haulway as eachnew cross-cut is completed, and then extracting the pillars between therooms at the retreating ends of the rooms, in the direction of advance,as the rooms advance, thereby to main- 'tain a pillar line substantiallyparallel to the advancing faces and cross-cuts, and the rooms,cross-cuts and entry being driven to the rise whereby driving to the dipis eliminated during excavation, and self-drainage of all working placesis insured.

4. A method of mining in a pitching seam which includes the steps ofdriving an entry haulway thru the stratum to be mined, advancing roomsabreast into solid coal on one side the entry, parallel to the entry andparallel to each other, connecting the rooms to each other and to theentry haulway by straight line cross-cuts driven to the rise from roomto room and between room and haulway, said cross cuts beingsubstantially parallel to the line of advance of the rooms, advancingall of the rooms and forming additional cross-cuts, equally spaced asthe rooms advance, each successive cross-cut constituting the avenuethru which material is transported from rooms to entry haulway as eachnewfcrosscut is completed, and then extracting the pillars between therooms at the retreating ends of the rooms, in the direction of advance,as the rooms advance,^thereby to maintain a pillar line substantiallyparallel to the advancing faces and cross-cuts, and the rooms atsubstantially uniform length, all of the rooms, cross-cuts and entrybeing driven to the rise whereby driving to the dip iseliminated duringexcavation and self-drainage of all working places is insured.

5. A method of mining in a pitching seam which includes the steps ofdriving an entryhaulway thru the stratum -to be mined, advancing roomsabreast into solid coal on one side the entry, parallel to the entry andparallel to each other, connecting the rooms to each other and to theentry haulway by straight line cross-cuts driven to the rise from roomto room and between room and haulway, said cross-cuts beingsubstantially parallel to the line of advance or the rooms, advancingall of the rooms and forming additional cross-cuts, equally spaced asthe rooms advance, each successive cross-cut constituting the avenuethru which material is trans- 10 ported from rooms to entry haulway aseach 'new cross-cut is completed, and then extracting whereby, throughthe use of a conveyer system,

the recoveryl of the room pillars is expedited without sacricing safeworking conditions.

CHARLES R. HUGHES.

